Own IRS-Approved Physical Gold Inside a Self-Directed IRA.

No. Under IRC Section 408(m), the metals must remain in the custody of a qualifying trustee at an approved depository. Physical possession by the account owner is treated as a distribution — the full value becomes taxable in the year of the deemed distribution and, if the owner is under 59½, the 10% additional tax under Section 72(t) applies. "Home storage IRA" marketing does not change this rule.

A direct rollover under IRC Section 401(a)(31) is a non-taxable event. The plan trustee cuts the check payable to the new IRA custodian for the benefit of the participant — the taxpayer never takes receipt of the funds, so the 20% mandatory withholding under Section 3405(c) does not apply and the 60-day rollover clock never starts. The transfer is reported on Form 1099-R with distribution code G.

Published fee schedules for major custodians in November 2026 range from approximately $150 to $260 per year for the combined custodial account fee and depository storage fee. Setup fees, wire fees, and metals-transaction spreads vary by custodian and are outside of SGI's editorial scope — SGI is a publisher, not a dealer. Verify current pricing with each custodian's own fee disclosure before opening an account.

This is the fear most new gold-IRA owners underestimate before they fund. Once your metals are at the depository, your custodian is your ongoing point of contact: Form 5498 annually to report contributions, Form 1099-R at distribution, and administration of Required Minimum Distributions starting at age 73 for a Traditional account. If your custodian stops responding after your funds move, the IRS still expects those filings and RMDs to happen on time — the operational failure becomes your problem to unwind. Test responsiveness before you fund, not after. When you request an introduction, ask the specialist and the custodian's operations desk for a direct email and phone number, and confirm you can reach them the same week you would need to. SGI's editorial reference remains available to you at any time — you can come back here to double-check any rollover-mechanic question the custodian's team gives you.

SGI is a reference publication. Our revenue comes from a per-account-opened fee paid by Augusta Precious Metals or GoldenCrest Metals when a reader opens a self-directed precious-metals IRA after being introduced through SGI. Augusta is the primary partner for rollovers of $50,000 or more; GoldenCrest for smaller balances. There is no other affiliate revenue on the introduction path. SGI is not a dealer, custodian, or licensed advisor.

Distributions can be taken in-kind (the metals ship from the depository to the account owner, becoming personal property) or in cash (the custodian liquidates the metals at prevailing market and distributes proceeds). Both are reported on Form 1099-R and taxed at the account owner's marginal rate for a Traditional IRA, or tax-free for a qualified Roth IRA distribution. Required Minimum Distributions under Section 401(a)(9) apply beginning at age 73 for Traditional accounts.